Translucent copyholder photographic printer



Nov. 20, 1962 L. HUTCHINS TRANSLUCENT COPYHOLDER PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTER Filed Sept. 29, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet l I N V EN TOR. zag n Moray/MS- 1962 L. HUTCHINS 3,064,546

TRANSLUCENT COPYHOLDER PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTER Filed Sept. 29, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 N23 3 C: a

INVEN TOR. LOQE/V #UTC/l/IVS.

.47 men/7 United States Patent Filed Sept. 29, 1960, Ser. No. 59,239 Ciairns. (Cl. 9573) This invention relates to a translucent copyholder photographic printer.

The present invention has for its primary object the provision of an enclosed base including a transparent top work surface with opposed pairs of vertically and longitudinally spaced rolls journaled adjacent the opposite ends of the said base with one set of rolls being tension rolls and the other set of rolls being drive rolls and with clear transparent plastic strips respectively mounted upon the said tension rolls, overlying the work surface in contact with each other and at their free ends wound around the respective drive rolls, whereby when the said drive rolls are rotated in unison the respective strips of plastic material may be moved longitudinally over the work surface for the purpose of transporting a negative and a sensitized strip in juxtaposition to a central portion of the work surface for a contact printing operation.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide means for rotating the drive rolls in unison and torsion means in conjunction with the tension rolls whereby in one direction of rotation of the said drive rolls the respective sheets of plastic material are unrolled from the tension rolls and whereas in opposite direction of retation of the driving means the plastic material is unrolled from the drive rolls and automatically rewound on the tension rolls.

These and other objects will be seen from the following specification and claims in conjunction with the appended drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section of the present translucent copyholder photographic printer.

FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a section taken on line 33 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 2 with the base of the printer fragmentarily shown and broken away.

It will be understood that the above drawings illustrate merely a preferred embodiment of the invention and that other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of the claims hereafter set forth.

Referring to the drawings, the present translucent copyholder photographic printer includes a hollow base generally indicated at 11 with opaque side walls and end walls 23, 13, bottom wall 15 and including the supporting legs 12.

As shown in FIGS. 1-3 one end wall has a series of elongated apertures 14 formed therethrough, whereas the opposing end wall has an aperture 17 mounting thereili a screen 18. An exhaust fan generally indicated at 19 is positioned upon the interior of the compartment 22 of the said base for the purpose of establishing circulation of cooling air therethrough.

A plurality of electrical sockets 20 are mounted upon the bottom wall 15 connected with a source of electrical energy with a suitable control switch interposed, but not shown, to receive the illuminating bulbs 21 which are momentarily energized in a conventional manner for a photographic of contact printing operation as hereafter described.

Suitable rheostat 48 is mounted upon the exterior of the base as shown in FIG. 1 for the purpose of regulating the amount of electrical energy directed to the bulbs 21 and accordingly the brightness thereof may be regulated as desired.

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Chamber 22 of the base is completed by the top glass cover 24 which in the preferred embodiment is a ground glass by which the light source is transmitted to the chamber 26 thereabove.

The base shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 also includes adjacent the upper end thereof the opal plastic support 25 for the transmission of diffused light therethrcugh and to further define the chamber 26, as a part of said base.

A preferably clear glass table top 27 completes the said base and overlies the light transmitting support 25 and extends to the respective end Walls 13 of said base and provides the working surface for the contact printing operation hereafter described, as for a photographing operation.

A pair of parallel spaced roll supports '28 are sectired to and project longitudinally of one end of the base 11, as shown in FIGS. l and 2 for the purpose of journalling and supporting a pair of vertically and longitudinally spaced takeup tension rolls 30, as at points 29. Each of the tension rolls includes the conventional torsion spring 31, FIG. 2, one end of which is anchored to the roll and the other end of which is adapted for anchoring to a portion of the roll support 28, as best shown in FIG. 2.

For this purpose the flattened ends 50 which are in the nature of a conventional type of axial fitting for the torsion springs project through the adjacent roll support 28 and through the guides or blocks 16 and are retained by the respective set screws 51, as hereinafter described. 7

An elongated strip of transparent or clear plastic material, as indicated at 33, is at its one end secured to and wound around the uppermost tension roll 30. A second strip of clear plastic, or otherwise transparent material, as indicated at 32 underlies the first mentioned strip 33 and extends below the first mentioned roll 30, and is secured to and wound around the second or lowermost roll 30, as best shown in FIG. 1.

Suitable transverse guide means are arranged adjacent and beyond the ends of the base 11. In the preferred embodiment, these guide means are in the form of a pair of elongated rolls 37 which are transversely interposed between the respective roll supports 28 and the roll supports 34, hereinafter described and are journaled thereon as at 38 so that the upper surfaces of the said rolls 37 register with substantially the top surface of the glass table top 27 spaced outwardly from the respective ends thereof.

A second pair of parallel spaced roll supports 34 are secured to and projected from the opposite end of the base 11 in longitudinal alignment with respect to roll sup-. ports 28, as best shown also in FIG. 2. There are a pair of drive rolls 36 which are arranged in longitudinally and vertically spaced relation with respect to each other and respectively journaled at points 35 between the re spective roll supports 34. The lowermost of the two clear plastic strips 32 extend over the work table 27, over the second guide roll 37 and extends angularly downward and is joined to, or suitably secured to and wound around the lowermost of the two drive rolls 36.

The second clear plastic strip 33, which is juxtaposed over the first plastic strip 32 extends also over the I'BSPEC. tive guides 37, over the table top 27 and is secured to and wound around the uppermost of the two drive rolls 36, as best illustrated in FIG. 1. Accordingly, each of the roll supports at the opposite ends of the base 11 have journaled thereon as at 38, the guide rolls 37. Additionally, each of the roll supports 28-, 34 have interposed therebetween and journaled thereon, the respective pairs of longitudinally and vertically spaced tension rolls at the left end in FIG. 1, and the power rolls, as at the right end of FIG. 1.

It is noted also that the respective tension rolls, as

well as the power rolls are disposed below the guide rolls 37 in order to carry out the present invention.

The lowermost of the power rolls 36 includes the shaft 39, which extends through one of the roll supports 34 and through a guide disc 49 and carries the hand wheel 40, suitably secured thereto by which the drive roll 36, i.e., the lowermost of said drive rolls may be rotated in one direction or the other as desired.

The handle 43 also has secured thereto a suitable sprocket gear -41, which is joined by sprocket chain 42, to an additional sprocket gear 43 secured to the stud shaft 44, which projects from one side of the roll support 34, as shown in FIG. 2.

The sprocket (gear 43 has secured thereto upon the rotative shaft 44, an additional sprocket gear best shown in FIG. 1 at 47, which is in mesh at all times with the driven sprocket gear 45 secured to the uppermost of the two drive rolls 36. Accordingly, rotation of the hand wheel 40 in one direction will cause simultaneous rotation in opposite directions of the respective power rolls 36, whereas rotation in the opposite direction of the hand wheel will affect rotation of the said power roll-s simultaneously in opposite direction.

The idler gear 47 is directly under gear 45 and accordingly is not shown in FIG. 2. A suitable set screw 52 is employed mounted so as to thread into the block 49 by which the shaft 39 of one of the power rolls 36 may be retained against rotation if desired, as in the setting up operation, as hereinafter explained.

For illustration, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, the strips of clear plastic material, namely the strips 32 and 33 are 31 inches in width with the strip 32 being 12 /2 feet long and the strip 33 being 11 /2 feet long.

In setting up the machine the strips are juxtaposed upon each other and placed upon the table top 27 of glass of the machine and the respective ends of the said strips are fed over the idle or guide rolls 37 and under the uppermost tension roll, as well as the uppermost drive roll.

The respective one ends of the strips 32 and 33 are suitably secured to the rolls 30, using a suitable tape. The respective other ends of the strips 32-33 extend around the drive rolls 36 with strip 32 extending over the top and around the lowermost roll 36 and with the strip 33 extending around the bottom and around the said uppermost roll 36.

By rotating the hand wheel 40 in a clockwise direction, the plastic sheeting 32 and 33 may be rolled on to the respective drive rolls, at the same time leaving enough of the material for securing to the tension rolls. After the strips have been secured to the tension rolls in the manner above described, the drive wheel is locked in any suitable fashion, as for example securing the set screw 52 within the mounting block 49 with respect to the shaft 39 retaining the same against rotation.

Thereafter a tension crank is applied to the flattened ends or extensions 50 on the said torsion springs 31. The tension'members 50 are given 'approximately 18 turns each for illustration, after which the lock nuts 51 on the guide blocks 16 are tightened to thus anchor the said torsion springs 31 and at the same time provide for a strong spring bias on to the tension rolls 30, to which the opposite ends of the torsion springs are fixedly secured in a conventional manner. This provides a means also of regulating the amount of tension which is to be applied to the respective rolls 30 in order to assure that the plastic sheeting 32-33 will lay flat on the top glass 27 of the machine. Also for the further purpose that as the strips of plastic material 3233 are unwound from the drive balls 36, the said tension rolls 30 will automatically rewind picking up the respective strips into a roll as indicated, particularly in FIG. 1.

. In the operation of the present device, and as best illustrated in FIG. 4, a strip of photosensitized material, normally of rectangular shape, and indicated at W, is juxtaposed over a negative, indicated at N, and the two are projected between the two plastic strips 3233 at the right end of FIG. 4, directly below the uppermost roll 36. Accordingly, by rotating the crank in a counterclockwise direction, it is seen that the juxtaposed worksheet and negative will be projected between the two strips 3233, which due to the tension placed thereon will retain the workstrip therebetween.

Further rotation of the hand wheel 40 unwinding the two rolls 36 will cause the associated worksheet and negative to move to a centralized position upon the worktable or glass support 27 due to the tension in the rolls 30. Accordingly, and for a temporary period, the lighting means 21 are energized and under the control of rheostat 38 there is provided an exposure of the said sensitized strip W with respect to the negative.

Thereafter the hand wheel 40 is rotated in a clockwise direction to rewind the respective plastic strips 3233 upon the rolls 36 which causes the work and associated negative to be transported to the right end and under the uppermost roll 36 from which it is withdrawn for further processing in a conventional manner. Thus there is provided a relatively simple means for snugly holding the work strip and negative in juxtaposition in tight contact with each other by virtue of the tension applied to the respective strips 3233 and the glass table top 27.

It is contemplated as a part of the present invention that the strips 3233 are transparent as is the glass top 27, and the support 25 which is of a light diffusing character.

While a contact printing operation is described above, tor illustration, another and more important use of the present copyholder printer is contemplated, namely photographing operations. For this purpose, one or a series of object strips W may be fed between strips 32 and 33 and transported so as to overlie table 27. Due to the constant tension maintained in strips 32, 33, the object W, often curved, is held perfectly flat for the photographic operation so it wont curl or buckle while being photographed. Any suitable camera may be used for this and which overlies the table 27 While being held fiat, light may project through the copy W so any markings or corrections on the back of the copy will show through and be photographed along with what is on the face of the copy.

The light may vary under the copy and at the same time we may project light down on the copy. With this method the density of the image on the front of the copy or the back of the copy, may be strengthened or weakened and brought into perfect balance to be photographed.

As above outlined, a piece of sensitized material may contact the copy, we may roll it onto the machine, expose .it with lights in the machine and produce a copy of the copy. Thus a primary object is achieved, i.e., this copy is held between two clear sheets of flexible material to be photographed or printed.

The spring rolls 30 not only feed the material in and out of the machine, but also are a major factor in holding the clear sheets 3233 flat one to the other, so that the material in between will be flat.

Having described my invention, reference should now be had to the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a translucent copyholder photographic printer, a hollow base mounting therein a light source, a clear glass table top on said base, a pair of parallel spaced roll supports projecting longitudinally from each end of the base, transverse guide means between each pair of supports at opposite ends of said base adjacent the ends of said table top, a pair of parallel longitudinally and vertically spaced takeup tension rolls journaled between one pair of roll supports, a second pair of parallel longitudinally and.

vertically spaced drive rolls journaled between the other pair of roll supports, said takeup and drive rolls positioned below said guide means, transparent strips of flexible plastic material wound in tension at their one ends respectively upon said takeup rolls, said strips superposed one on the other and extending over said guide means and table top and at their respective other ends Wound around said drive rolls, said strips adapted to receive therebetween and substantially flatten a worksheet fior transporting same on to said table for a photographic or contact printing operation, and means operably engaging said drive rolls elfecting selective longitudinal movements of said strips in unison.

2. In the translucent copyholder printer of claim 1, said base including an enclosed chamber with opaque Walls, a bottom and a ground glass top, spaced below said table top, said light source including a series of bulbs and rheostat means adjustably connecting said bulbs with a power source.

3. In the translucent copyholder printer of claim 1, said 6 guide means including idler guide rolls journaled upon said supports.

4. In the translucent copyholder printer of claim 1, said tension rolls including torsion springs anchored at their one ends to .a roll support and at their respective other ends biased to said tension rolls respectively.

5. In the translucent copyholder printer of claim 1, the means operably engaging said drive rolls including a crank secured to said one drive roll, gear and sprocket means interconnecting said drive rolls whereby rotation of said crank in one direction unrolls said takeup rolls under tension, rotation of said crank in the opposite direction unrolling said drive rolls, said takeup rolls automatically rewind-ing under tension.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Hassler Sept. 24, 1946 L-essler Sept. 30, 1947 

